Lifeboat launching device



May 8, 1962 F. HUDSON ETAL LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING DEVICE Filed July 27, 1960 mn mnn Illlll III II ATTOR NEY LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING DEVICE Frank Hudson and Russell W. Hudson, both of Line Road, Manorville, N.Y.

Filed July 27, 1960, Ser. No. 45,620 4 Claims. (Cl. 9-41) This invention relates to lifeboat launching devices and is adaptable to all kinds and types of ships. Unlike conventional davits, the device herein disclosed. will successfully launch a lifeboat from a ship having a list of up to forty-five degrees in either direction.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved device adapted to be mounted on a ships deck or other suitable part of the ship, provided with lifeboat supporting means holding a lifeboat in position for ready access thereinto by persons on the ship and with additional means for quickly and safely launching the boat with persons occupying the same, at any degree of list of the ship in either direction up to a list of forty-five degrees.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a lifeboat launching device which includes a structure fixedly mounted on a ship having horizontally spaced rails extending outward and downward toward the edge of the ships deck or the like at a substantially large angle such as, for example, forty-five degrees, and thence further extending a distance down the side of the ship, in combination with a carriage riding on the rails and provided with lifeboat supporting means from which the boat is automatically and safely launched in upright position immediately after the carriage has been lowered to the water. Additional means is provided, in the form, forexample, of a cable or cables, which normally hold the lifeboat securely on the structure and which are releasable to permit the carriage to descend down the rails to achieve the launching.

The above broad as well as additional objects will be clarified in the following description wherein reference numerals refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended primarily for the purpose of illustration, and thatit is neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to all or any of the exact details shown or described except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention as defined in the appended claims. I

Referring briefly to the drawing, FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of a lifeboat launching device illustrating embodiments of the present invention, showing also and largely schematically, in cross-section, a portion of the ship upon which the device is mounted. a

FIG. 2 is a view obtained by looking at FIG. 1 from. left to right, showing the launching device in front ele vation.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a detail of the device.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the numeral It) indicates a ship whose side is shown at 11 and upon whose suitable area or surface, such as that of a deck 12, the launching structure is mounted in any desired manner.

A support 13, forming part of the stationary structure, may be provided in the form of spaced uprights 14. Similarly spaced rails 15, which may be channel-shaped as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, are rigid at their upper ends with the uprights 14 and have their lower ends rigid with the edge 16 of the deck; the upper ends of the rails extend from the uprights at points equidistant from the lower ends of the uprights so that the rails extend downward to the edge of the ship at an acute angle which, in the drawing, has been made an angle of forty-five degrees for reasons which will presently become apparent.

t ie Sttes atcfl O A carriage 17 is provided in the form of two side members 18 joined by one or more longitudinal members 19 to provide rigidity to the carriage. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the side members 18 are shown of generally right-triangular conformation, with the longest edge or hypotenuse 26 thereof forming the base of the side member. Each such base has four wheels or rollers 21 rotatably mounted thereon, arranged in pairs at the ends of the base. The intermediate portion of each base edge 20 is concavely cut away as shown at 22.

The two sides of the side members adjacent the edge 2t! are indicated at 23 and 24, respectively. A cradle 25 is provided, having a length and width and the general shape of a lifeboat 26, in which the boat registers complementarily. Preferably the cradle is made of rods or other members 27 in the fashion of a cage having wide openings such as, for example, that shown at 28, therethrough, for reasons which will become apparent below.

Near the apex of each triangular side member 18 a bore 29 is provided, the bores of the two members 18 being aligned. The ends of the boat-shaped cradle 25 are provided with aligned pivot pins 30 which register pivotally in the bores 29. The axis of the pivot pins 30 is positioned above the horizontal axis through the center of gravity of the cradle. Thus obviously at all times suspend the cradle in upright position and, consequently, likewise suspend the boat 26 therein in upright position.

The normally inactive position of the launching device is illustrated in FIG. 2, and FIG. 1 shows the movable parts of the device in normally inactive position in full lines and in released position in broken lines.

The carriage 17 which pivotally supports the cradle 25, the latter containing the boat 26, is releasably retained in the inactive position shown in full lines in FIG. 1, by any suitable means. An example of such means is illustrated in the form of two cables'31 and 32 wound on drums 33 and 34, respectively, mounted on the ends of a shaft 35 rotatably supported in the uprights 14 at a convenient position above the deck 12. The cables pass over pulleys 36 and are attached to the carriage side members 18 at suitable aligned points such as, for example, eyelets 3'7. Any suitable standard and well-known means for winding up or releasing the cables and for releasably locking the drums or the shaft 35 in the position in which the carriage is held normally inactive ready for launching of the boat, are of, course understood to be provided but are not shown as they are details which do not constitute elements of novelty in the present invention, and they are not necessary to provide a complete disclosure of the invention.

It is now apparent that upon release of the cables 31 and 32, the carriage 18 will slide down the rails 15 and over the side 11 of the ship and down the same in case the list is toward the left, FIG. 1, up to an angle of forty-five degrees, for at any angle up to that degree gravity will urge the carriage downward. As the carriage goes over the side of the ship into the position, for example, shown in broken lines in FIG. 1, the cradle 25 and the boat 26 will remain upright. Immediately upon reaching the water the cradle and the carriage will both begin to sink and the boat will remain afloat in upright position. The cradle 25 need not, of course, have a cage-like construction, as it may be of substantially solid construction so long as it is provided with sufficiently numerous or sufliciently large openings therethrough to permit its sinking.

In order to assure that the boat 26 will not be freed from the carriage until the latter and the cradle have sunk to a sufiicient depth, the following further structure is provided. At one end of the cradle, preferably the bow end, an upright rod or staff 38 is rigid with the 3 cradle. An eyelet or ring 39 is rigid with the uppermost extremity of the end of the boat, and in lowering the boat into the cradle the ring is passed over the staff 38. As the cradle sinks with the carriage the staff moves downward clear of the ring and thus frees the boat.

Among the standard and well-known means mentioned above in relation to the winding drums or cables, would be included control means to limit the speed of descent of the carriage down the rails and over the side of the ship to prevent the boat from striking the water at too great an impact speed. Such means is also common in the cable and hoist art and is therefore not shown.

Extensions 40 of the rails may also be provided down the side of the ship. The provision of the wheels 21 in pairs at the ends of the side members 18 is made so that in case the carriage, in descending the side of the ship, should meet a port hole 41 one wheel at each end will carry the load of the carriage while the other wheel of the pair rides over the port hole. The axial distance between the wheels of each such pair of wheels is therefore at least equal to the diameter of the port hole.

In order to enable passengers to step into the lifeboat before launching, any suitable stairway or ladder 42 may be mounted in suitable position, leading to a platform 43 from which one may step into the boat.

It is quite obvious from the above disclosure that the procedure of launching a lifeboat is far superior to that offered by the commonly used davits. In the case of the present invention the lifeboat is always ready for immediate launching after passengers have entered it. Nothing more need be done than release the winding drum or drums so that the carriage may descend down the rails. Suitable brakes or braking means, not shown, may be used on the drum or drums to slow down the speed of descent of the carriage. Obviously the carriage and the cradle will both sink rapidly after meeting the water while the boat itself remains afloat. It is well known that in the case of the common davit launchings it is physically impossible to launch a lifeboat when the list is at even a relatively small angle away from the side of the ship where the lifeboat is located. This defect has caused many disasters in the past because the list of the ship made completely unusable all of the lifeboats on one side of the ship. In the case of the present invention, it is apparent that the launching may be accomplished whether the ship lists to the left or to the right, FIG. 1. In the case of a list to the right, the carriage will still ride on the rails 15 at any angle of list up to forty-five degrees.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined in the following claims.

It is to be noted that, in order for the cradle to be maintained in upright position at all times, the axis of the pivots must lie above the longitudinal axis of rotation of the cradle, and that the higher this axis ispositioned above the axis of rotation both of the cradle and of the boat nesting therein, the less the cradle and the boat will be subjected to a swinging motion. As to the cradle, as stated before, it need not necessarily be of a cage-like form of any kind or of the kind illustrated, for it may be of any structure as long as it is provided with one or more suitable openings therethrough to permit water to pass rapidly from the outside to the inside thereof. It is believed that the term perforate for the cradle structure would suitably define it when it has more than one opening therethrough, which is believed to be the preferred structure.

It is also to be noted that the two rails '15 together constitute a rail way, and that the extension rails 41 contioned rail way.

As to the axis of rotation of the cradle, mentioned above, it is to be understood that this term applies to the theoretical axis about which the cradle would be freely rotatable in perfect balance and be able to come to rest in any position; or, in other words, it is the longitudinal axis of the cradle which passes through the center of gravity of the cradle.

The carriage and the cradle are, of course, to be made of any suitable metal or other material which is heavier than water to assure rapid sinking thereof.

The invention having thus been described, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows:

'1. A lifeboat launching device for a ship comprising an upright supporting frame adapted to be secured on the deck of a ship adjacent but spaced from the top edge of a side of the ship, spaced inclined rails having their upper ends secured to the frame and their lower ends secured to said edge, a carriage including substantially upright side members mounted on said rails for riding thereon, a cradle having substantially the form and shape of the lifeboat to be launched and provided with at least one opening of large area therethrough, the cradle having aligned pivot pins on the ends thereof positioned above the longitudinal axis through the center of gravity thereof, said side members having aligned bores therein, said pins registering pivotally in said bores, the lifeboat normally nesting loosely and unattachedly in the cradle, and releasable means for normally retaining the carriage on said rails adapted to be released to permit the carriage to descend the rails by gravity whereby upon entering the Water the carriage and the cradle sink and the lifeboat remains afloat.

2. A lifeboat launching device for a' ship comprising, in combination, a lifeboat having a ring on one end thereof, an inclined rail way adapted to be secured on a deck of the ship with the lower end of the rail way secured to the upper edge of a side of the ship, a carriage including side members ridably mounted on the rail way, a perforate cradle having generally the shape and form of the said lifeboat to be launched pivotally supported by said side members on a longitudinal axis of the cradle positioned above the longitudinal axis through the center of gravity of the cradle, one end of the cradle having an upright staff thereon, the lifeboat normally nesting loosely and unattachedly in said cradle with said staff extending upward through said ring, and releasable means for normally retaining the carriage on the rail way adapted to be released to permit the carriage to descend the rail way by gravity whereby upon entering the water the carriage and the cradle sink and the lifeboat remains afloat, the staff continuing to engage the ring until it has descended with the cradle a distance sufiicient to withdraw it from the ring thus preventing drifting of the lifeboat from the ship for an interval of time.

3. In combination, a ship and a lifeboat launching device including an inclined rail way mounted on a deck of the ship with the lower end of the rail way secured to the upper edge of a side of the ship, a carriage including side members ridably mounted on the rail way, perforate cradle having generally the form and shape of the lifeboat to be launched pivotally supported by said side members on a longitudinal axis of the cradle positioned above the longitudinal axis through the center of gravity of the cradle, the lifeboat nesting loosely and unattachedly in the cradle, and releasable means for normally retaining the carriage on said rail way adapted to be released to permit the carriage to descend the rail way by gravity whereby upon entering the water the carriage and the cradle sink and the lifeboat remains afloat.

4. A lifeboat launching device for a ship comprising an inclined rail way adapted to be secured on a deck of the ship with the lower end of the rail way secured to the upper edge of a side of the ship, a carriage including side members ridably mounted on the rail way, a perforate cradle having generally the form and shape of the lifeboat to be launched pivotally supported on said side membets on a longitudinal axis of the cradle positioned above the longitudinal axis through the center of gravity of the cradle, the lifeboat being adapted to be nested loosely and unattachedly in said cradle, and releasable means for normally retaining the carriage on said rail way adapted to be released to permit the carriage to descend the rail way by gravity whence with the lifeboat nested in the cradle as aforementioned upon descending into the water the carriage and the cradle sink and leave the lifeboat afloat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Groleau Aug. 20, 1918 Vreugdenhil Jan. 4, 1927 Vreugdenhil Mar. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 13, 1919 Great Britain May 12, 1930 

